Fishing tool



F. o.- WILLIAMS FISHING TOOL Filed Feb. 20, 1926 Patented Nov. 2, 1926UNITED STATES FREDERICK O. WILLIAMS, F LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA.

FISHING TOOL.

Application filed February 20, 1926. Serial N0.'89,718.

This invention relates to fishing tools and more particularly to afishing tool for use in withdrawing from wells the sucker rods employedfor operating the pump.

An important object of the invention is to provide a fishing toolcapable of use with sucker rods of different descriptions and which maybe operated within a tube where the clearance afforded about the suckerrod is extremely small.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fishing tool of thischaracter which may be employed for engaging sucker rods where thesucker rod is broken off intermediate its ends.

These and other objects I attain by the construction shown in theaccompanying drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown apreferred embodiment of my invention and wherein Figure 1 is a sideelevation of a fishing tool constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view therethrough on the line 22 ofFigure 1 showing a sucker rod joint in position in the tool in dottedlines;

Figure 8 is a section on the line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail sectional View showing a different typeof sucker rod joint in position therein.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the tool includes abarrel 10, the lower end of which is beveled inwardly, as at 11, so thatthe sucker rod will be directed within the barrel. This barrel is formedwith a plurality of circumferentially spaced vertically extending slots12, the upper and lower faces of which are in the form of abruptshoulders 13 and 14. The upper end of the barrel is open and has at oneside a continuation 15 to which is welded or otherwise secured a box 16adapted for engagement with a pin 17 of a sucker rod joint, by means ofwhich the tool is lowered into the well.

end of the slot when the spring finger is in its lowermost position. Thelower end of this locking portion is inwardly beveled, as at 23, and theface of the internal shoulder formed by the ofi'setting of the finger isoppositely beveled, as at 24.. The distance between the beveled faces ismade slightly greater than the distance between opposite vends oftheenlarged portions of two engaged sucker rods S and S.

In the type of sucker rodillustrated .in Figure 2, these enlargedportions at their connection to the rod have beveled faces and betweenadjacent ends of the rod section is inserted a coupling-26.. A secondform of rod, illustrated in Figure 4, has instead of the beveled face24, above described, an abrupt shoulder 27 and the coupling 26 isomitted.

In the use of the device, the fishing tool is lowered into the welluntil it comes into contact with the upper end of the broken rod. Thisrod may have been broken intermediate its ends, as illustrated, or thebreak may have occurred immediately adjacent orin the joint between therods. Where the break occurs intermediate the ends of the rod, the rodis first guided into the barrel by the bevel 11 and then between thefingers 18 by the bevels 23. As the lowering of the fishing toolcontinues, the shoulder25 or 27 of the rod comes into engagement withthe lower beveled ends 23 of the fingers and since the enlarged portionof the rod is of greater diameter than the normal space between thesefingers, the fingers, together with the sleeve 19, are caused to moveupwardly in the slot. The length of the fingers 18 is slightly less thanthe length of the slot with the result that when their upper ends comeinto contact with the upper ends of the slots, the lower ends of thefingers are free to spread and permit passage of the shoulder, so thatthe joint between the sucker rod sections may pass between the beveledfaces 24 and 25. The upper end of the rod passes through the open upperend of the barrel. When the joint comes into contact with the face 25,since it is of greater size than the bore of the sleeve, the downwardmovement of the fishing tool is checked and thi s a signal to theoperator to reverse movement of the tool. As the movement of the tool isreversed, the fingers 18, having sprung inwardly when the lower end ofthe joint passes the offset portions 22, the entire gripping unit movesdownwardly as a body until the shoulders2l of the spring fingers comeinto engagement with the end walls 14 of the slots and their downwardmovement is checked. The weight of the tool is then placed against thebeveled faces 2% and against the lower ends of the slots through theshoulders 21. The tendency of the rod is to more downwardly by its ownweight and to spread these lingers only at a point where the spreadingaction is resisted by the complete barrel with the result that a veryfirm grip upon the rod is obtained. When the rod has been withdrawn tothe uppe end of the well, it is simply necessary to lower the tool to apoint where the upper ends of the lingers are again above the lower endsof the slots to secure the gripping element against movement and toagain elevate the tool. The gripping element may be com venientlymaintained against downward movement by providing in the wall thereoiadjacent the upper ends of the slots a threaded opening 28 through whichmay be directed a se screw for engagement with the sleeve 19.

While I am aware that tools have been previously devised employingspring fingers tor gripping beneath the shoulders of a joint,

'all (3t these tools with which I am familiar place the weight of thesupported tool upon the spring fingers instead or upon the barrel,vas itis in the present construction and, therefore, these spring fingers mustbe made of considerable size and the tools may not be employed in a borein which the sucker rod fits closely.

The tool being capable of a certain range of change and modificationwithout materially departing from the spirit of the in vention, I do notlimit myself to the specific structure hereinbefore set forth except ashereinafter claimed.

1 claim 1. In a fishing tool of the character described, an open toppedbarrel having at its lower end means for directing a fish into theinterior thereof, the side wall of the barrel having circumterentiallyspaced vertically extending slots provided their up per and lower endswith abrupt shoulders and a gripping clement including spring fingers ofless length than said slots lticated within the slots and havingportions squarely confronting the shoulders at the ends of the slots anda member slidable within the barrel and to which the upper ends of thefingers are secured.

In a fishing tool of the character described, an open topped barrelhaving at its lower end means for directing a fish into the interiorthereof, the side wall of the barrel having circum'terentially spacedvertically extending slots provided at their upper and lower encs withabrupt shoulders and a gripping element includingspring lingers of lesslength than said slots located witl'iin the slots and a sleeve slidablewithin the barrel and to which the upper ends of the lingo: are secured,the lo or ends of the lingers being inwardly o'tiret to provide abovesuch lower ends abrupt shoulders facing the lower ends of the slots. theextreme lower ends of the lingers being upwardly and inwardly beveled. ll

3. In a .tishing tool of the character described, an open toppedbz-irrel having at its lower end means to" directing a fish inn; theinterior "hereof, the side wall of the barrel having circumi "ertiallyspaced TOE- tically extending slots provided their upper and lower endswith abrupt shoulders and a gripping element including spr fingers ofless length than said slots lea-a within the slots and a sleeve slidablewitnin the barrel and to which the upper ends of tlie lingers aresecured, the 10m ends on the lingers being inwardly oiii'set to r abovesuch lower ends abrupt shoulnc ing the lower ends of the slots, thelower ends of the fingers being and inwardly beveled, said sleeve linternal diameter less than the ameter of the member to be grasped i. Ina fishing tool of the checribed, an open topped .rrel hax lower endmeans for 'cctinq a the interior thereof, i barrel having circuni v stically er-ttending slots provided a" per and lower ends with abruptshot and a grippi element including lingers oil. e h than said sl withinthe slots and a siceve slid in the barrel and to which the 1 per cu l ofthe tin ers are secured, the r ends oi the lingers being inwardly oi toprovid above such lower ends abriu' mou eler itacing the lower ends ofthe slots, the extreme lower ends of the fingers bei'ig uowardlx' andinwam v beveled. said ieeve hrivin! interi'u-il di 1 i m than theexternal diii, the ins being no:- 0 less thin the neter ie ameter oi.the member to be nor faces of the offset po nially spaced apart a dist:diameter of the tool to be in testimony whereof I he signature.

FREDERICK O. WILLIAMS.

